In 1957, radio legend Alan Freed was given a weekly prime-time TV series, The Big Beat(which predated American Bandstand), on ABC. The show was scheduled for a Summer run, with the understanding that if there were enough viewers, the show would continue into the 1957-58 television season. Although the ratings for the first three episodes were strong, the show was suddenly canceled after the fourth episode. During that episode, singer Frankie Lymon, after performing a number with his group The Teenagers, was seen dancing with a white girl from the studio audience. Reportedly, the incident offended the management of ABC’s local affiliates in the southern states, and led to the show’s immediate cancellation despite its growing popularity.